Therapeutic Equipment Prescription in Physiotherapy

Prescribe the appropriate therapeutic aids, devices, and equipment as required by clients

Type

Domain

Competency Area

Patient Care

Levels

Prescribe appropriate assistive devices for routine cases independently

Determine clients and/or caregivers’ acceptance and compliance to the use of assistive equipment

Explain the selected assistive equipment in collaboration with clients and/or caregivers

Explain and train the clients and/or caregivers in the function and use, the safe handling and the care and maintenance of the selected assistive equipment

Evaluate client performance with the assistive devices before prescription

Keep appropriate records of the interventions, including agreed client goals, joint assessments and relevant outcomes

Consult other specialists, where appropriate, about specific issues related to clients’ needs

Assess the prospective users’ functioning and consider their personal variables such as age, goals, personality, co- morbid conditions and environment

Establish goals with the clients and take baseline measures of functioning using tools appropriate to the goals

Account for possible client changes which may affect the efficacy of the prescriptions

Identify possible factors which may result in non- use of assistive devices

Review goals with clients following prescription of assistive devices

Review prescription outcomes and provide guidance to junior therapists

Determine if the new assistive devices are suitable for clients in terms of performance and safety

Review the processes and effectiveness of the assistive devices prescribed by junior staff

Be aware of new or leading assistive devices

Evaluate effectiveness and efficacy of assistive devices based on evidence

Integrateuse of evidence-based, cost- effective innovative therapeutic equipment

Propose use of cost- effective and/or innovative assistive devices as part of therapy interventions

Trial cost-effective and/or innovative assistive devices before deployment into the clinical setting

Develop clinical standards regarding the prescription of assistive devices

Co-develop assistive devices with professionals from other disciplinary fields such as engineering and designers